Bear girls head north

Juneau to face Bartlett, West Anchorage and Palmer

After a successful series against Sitka last weekend, the Juneau-Douglas High School girls basketball team is turning its attention north this week.

The Crimson Bears make their last regular-season trip outside of Southeast with games at Bartlett High School in Anchorage tonight, West Anchorage on Thursday and Palmer on Friday.

Juneau has not faced Bartlett or Palmer this season. The Crimson Bears routed West 87-35 at the Lady T-Bird Classic in Anchorage on Jan. 16.

The Crimson Bears went 2-3 on that road trip, their only other Anchorage swing this season. But they were forced to go with only seven players on that trip because the junior varsity squad was also on the road, in Kotzebue.

This week, Juneau will have 10 players available because only the varsity squad is traveling.

Juneau (8-5 overall, 2-0 Region V-Class 4A) beat Sitka 63-31 on Friday and 59-51 on Saturday in its first region games this season.

Bartlett (3-10) went 1-2 at last weekend's Lady Lynx Shootout at Dimond High School. The Golden Bears lost 56-48 to Ketchikan on Thursday and 40-25 to Class 3A power Seward on Friday before rebounding with a 68-29 drubbing of Class 3A Heritage Christian on Saturday.

The Golden Bears are led by senior forwards/centers Nikki Moss and Meghan Hunsaker, both 5-foot-9. Both played the last time Juneau and Bartlett met - when the Golden Bears knocked the Crimson Bears out of the 2002 state tournament with a 58-47 consolation-bracket victory.

The West Anchorage Eagles were 3-7 going into a game against Skyview last weekend; the result was not available. The Eagles were due to play Dimond on Tuesday evening.

No West player scored more than eight points in Juneau's victory earlier this season.

Palmer is 6-5, with the Moose's last win a 49-33 victory over Bartlett last week.

After this week's road trip, the Crimson Bears return to Region V competition with games at Ketchikan on Feb. 20-21.